• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.52 no.3
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• pp.293-312
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• 2024

Researchers are actively investigating the potential for utilizing alternative materials in construction to tackle the environmental and economic challenges linked to traditional concrete-based materials. Nevertheless, conventional laboratory methods for testing the mechanical properties of concrete are both costly and time-consuming. The limitations of traditional models in predicting the tensile strength of concrete composited with geopolymer have created a demand for more advanced models. Fortunately, the increasing availability of data has facilitated the use of machine learning methods, which offer powerful and cost-effective models. This paper aims to explore the potential of several machine learning methods in predicting the tensile strength of geopolymer concrete under different curing conditions. The study utilizes a dataset of 221 tensile strength test results for geopolymer concrete with varying mix ratios and curing conditions. The effectiveness of the machine learning models is evaluated using additional unseen datasets. Based on the values of loss functions and evaluation metrics, the results indicate that most models have the potential to estimate the tensile strength of geopolymer concrete satisfactorily. However, the Takagi Sugeno fuzzy model (TSF) and gene expression programming (GEP) models demonstrate the highest robustness. Both the laboratory tests and machine learning outcomes indicate that geopolymer concrete composed of 50% fly ash and 40% ground granulated blast slag, mixed with 10 mol of NaOH, and cured in an oven at 190°F for 28 days has superior tensile strength.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.56 no.7
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• pp.2740-2747
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• 2024

The sintering process acquired ferromagnetic copper ferrite ceramic material with a small concentration of Ni ion at 1100 ℃ for 1 h. Previously, copper ferrite with Ni proportions powder was acquired by the wet chemical process according to the relation CuFe_2-xNi_xO₄ where x takes values 0.0, 0.015, 0.03, 0.04, and 0.05. The role of Ni ion in the copper ferrite structure was investigated by X-ray analysis, Scanning electron microscope, EDX analysis, and density measurements. The gamma-ray shielding properties for the fabricated CuFeNiO ceramics samples were evaluated using the Monte Carlo simulation method. The obtained results show an enhancement in the linear attenuation coefficient for the fabricated ceramics with increasing the insertions of Ni ions within the fabricated samples, where increasing the Ni ions concentration between 0 and 1.19 wt% increases the linear attenuation by between 1.581 and 1.771 cm^-1 (at 0.103 MeV), 0.304-0.338 cm^-1 (at 0.662 MeV), and 0.160-0.178 cm^-1 (at 2.506 MeV), respectively. Simultaneously, the radiation protection efficiency for a 1 cm thickness of the fabricated samples increased between 14.8 and 16.3% with increasing the Ni ions between 0 and 1.19 wt%. Although the Ni doping concentration does not exceed 1.5 wt% of the total composition of the fabricated ceramics, the shielding capacity of the fabricated ceramics was enhanced by more than 11%, along the studied energy interval. Therefore, the fabricated samples can be used in gamma-ray shielding applications.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.56 no.7
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• pp.2444-2451
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• 2024

This work demonstrates a new sol-gel approach for synthesizing PbO₂-doped zirconia using zircon mineral precursors. The streamlined methodology enables straightforward fabrication of the doped zirconia composites. Comprehensive materials characterization was performed using XRD, SEM, and TEM techniques to analyze the crystal structure, microstructure, and morphology. Quantitative analysis of the XRD data provided insights into the nanoscale crystallite sizes achieved, along with their relationship to lattice imperfections. Furthermore, the gamma-ray shielding capacity for the PbO₂-doped zirconia samples was estimated by the Monte Carlo simulation, which proves an increase in the gamma ray shielding properties by raising the Pb concentration. The linear attenuation coefficient increased between 0.467 and 0.499 cm^-1 (at 0.662 MeV) by increasing the Pb content between 11 and 21 wt%. By increasing the Pb content to 21 wt%, the synthesized composites' lead equivalent thickness reaches 2.49 cm. The radiation shielding properties for the synthesized composites revealed a remarkable performance against low and intermediate γ-ray photons, with radiation shielding capacity of 37.3 % and 21.4 % at 0.662 MeV and 2.506 MeV, respectively. As a result, the developed composites can be employed as an alternative shielding material in hospitals and radioactive zones.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.56 no.7
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• pp.2828-2834
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• 2024

This research intends to recycle bone and incorporate it into concrete for radiation shielding application using Phy-X/PSD software. Cement, sand and granite were mixed in proportion of 0.5 kg:1 kg:1 kg to obtain sample A. Other concretes composing of cement, sand, granite and bone ash was in proportion 0.45 kg:1 kg:1 kg:0.05 kg, 0.1 kg:1 kg:1 kg:0.4 kg and 0.35 kg:1 kg:1 kg:0.15 kg to obtain samples B, C and D respectively. 0.5 water-to-cement (W/C) ratio was adopted throughout the mixes because the control mix contain the normal water quantity for normal hydration of cement. Replacing the bone ash for the cement in the fabricated concretes enhances their densities where the fabricated concretes' density decreased from 2.33 g/cm³ to 2.22 g/cm³ by raising the reinforcing bones fly ash concentration from 0 to 0.15 kg. Additionally, increasing the bones fly ash concentration within the fabricated concretes increases their linear attenuation coefficient (LAC) where the fabricated concretes' μ values at 0.662 MeV reach 0.181 cm^-1, 0.178 cm^-1, 0.174 cm^-1, and 0.171 cm^-1, respectively for concretes A, B, C, and D. The use of other local materials is recommended, as it improves waste management being the major aim of the sustainable development goal.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.247-265
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• 2024

Measuring the fracture toughness of concrete in laboratory settings is challenging due to various factors, such as complex sample preparation procedures, the requirement for precise instruments, potential sample failure, and the brittleness of the samples. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop innovative and more effective tools to overcome these limitations. Supervised learning methods offer promising solutions. This study introduces seven machine learning algorithms for predicting concrete's effective fracture toughness (K-eff). The models were trained using 560 datasets obtained from the central straight notched Brazilian disc (CSNBD) test. The concrete samples used in the experiments contained micro silica and powdered stone, which are commonly used additives in the construction industry. The study considered six input parameters that affect concrete's K-eff, including concrete type, sample diameter, sample thickness, crack length, force, and angle of initial crack. All the algorithms demonstrated high accuracy on both the training and testing datasets, with R² values ranging from 0.9456 to 0.9999 and root mean squared error (RMSE) values ranging from 0.000004 to 0.009287. After evaluating their performance, the gated recurrent unit (GRU) algorithm showed the highest predictive accuracy. The ranking of the applied models, from highest to lowest performance in predicting the K-eff of concrete, was as follows: GRU, LSTM, RNN, SFL, ELM, LSSVM, and GEP. In conclusion, it is recommended to use supervised learning models, specifically GRU, for precise estimation of concrete's K-eff. This approach allows engineers to save significant time and costs associated with the CSNBD test. This research contributes to the field by introducing a reliable tool for accurately predicting the K-eff of concrete, enabling efficient decision-making in various engineering applications.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.52 no.4
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• pp.419-434
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• 2024

A flat slab is a structural system where columns directly support it without the presence of beam elements. However, despite its wide advantages, this structural system undergoes a major deficiency where stresses are concentrated around the column perimeter, resulting in the progressive collapse of the entire structure as a result of losing the shear transfer mechanisms at the cracked interface. Predicting the punching shear capacity of RC flat slabs is a challenging problem where the factors contributing to the overall slab strength vary broadly in their significance and effect extent. This study proposed a new expression for predicting the slab's capacity in punching shear using a nonuniform concrete tensile stress distribution assumption to capture, as well as possible, the induced strain effect within a thick RC flat slab. Therefore, the overall punching shear capacity is composed of three parts: concrete, aggregate interlock, and dowel action contributions. The factor of the shear span-to-depth ratio (a_v/d) was introduced in the concrete contribution in addition to the aggregate interlock part using the maximum aggregate size. Other significant factors were considered, including the concrete type, concrete grade, size factor, and the flexural reinforcement dowel action. The efficiency of the proposed model was examined using 86 points of published experimental data from 19 studies and compared with five code standards (ACI318, EC2, MC2010, CSA A23.3, and JSCE). The obtained results revealed the efficiency and accuracy of the model prediction, where a covariance value of 4.95% was found, compared to (13.67, 14.05, 15.83, 19.67, and 20.45) % for the (ACI318, CSA A23.3, MC2010, EC2, and JSCE), respectively.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.45 no.2
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• pp.157-171
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• 2024

The purposes of this study were: (1) to revalidate the revised Systems Thinking Measuring Instrument (Re_STMI) reported by Lee et al. (2024) among Vietnamese high school students and (2) to investigate the differences in systems thinking abilities between Korean and Vietnamese high school students. To achieve this, data from 234 Vietnamese high school students who responded to translated Re_STMI consisting of 20 items and an Scale consisting of 20 items were used. Validity analysis was conducted through item response analysis (Item Reliability, Item Map, Infit and Outfit MNSQ, DIF between male and female) and exploratory factor analysis (principal axis factor analysis using Promax). Furthermore, structural equation modeling was employed with data from 475 Korean high school students to verify the latent mean analysis. The results were as follows: First, in the item response analysis of the 20 translated Re_STMI items in Vietnamese, the Item Reliability was .97, and the Infit MNSQ ranged from .67 to 1.38. The results from the Item Map and DIF analysis align with previous findings. In the exploratory factor analysis, all items were loaded onto intended sub-factors, with sub-factor reliabilities ranging from .662 to .833 and total reliability at .876. Confirmatory factor analysis for latent mean analysis between Korean and Vietnamese students yielded acceptable model fit indices (χ²/df: 2.830, CFI: .931, TLI: .918, SRMR: .043, RMSEA: .051). Lastly, the latent mean analysis between Korean and Vietnamese students revealed a small effect size in systems analysis, mental models, team learning, and shared vision factors, whereas a medium effect size was observed in personal mastery factors, with Vietnamese high school students showing significantly higher results in systems thinking. This study confirmed the reliability and validity of the Re_STMI items. Furthermore, international comparative studies on systems thinking using Re_STMI translated into Vietnamese, English, and other languages are warranted in the context of students' systems thinking analysis.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Fisheries and Ocean Technology
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.23-29
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• 1984

Nowdays, the high strength aluminum alloys are broadly used for structural purpose, but the practical strengthening method by aging treatment are not much available. So that, in this study, in order to investigate the effect of aging treatment for strengthening on the fracture characteristics of the domestic high strength Al alloy (A2024BE), the variations of the aging temperature and time were taken after solution treatment. By microstructural examination, and by SEM fractographs of the fractures, the effects of aging temperature and time were investigated, considering on the fracture behaviour. The results obtained are as follows: 1) It was confirmed by microstructural investigation that the aging temperature of $190^{\circ}C$ and the aging time of 12hours were optimal to get more sound microstructure with distribution of uniform precipitation. 2) By step aging treatment, the proper aging time for obtaining the similar microstructure without any microstructural defects could be shortened in half the normal aging time. 3)By examining the SEM fractographs of the fracture surface, it was found that, regardless of the aging treatment time and temperature, all were intergranular ductile fractures, but the aging treatment at $190^{\circ}C$ for 12 hours resulted in dimple-type-transgranular and intergranular-ductile-frature.

• Journal of the Korean Electrochemical Society
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.108-123
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• 2004

Imaging of surfaces and structures by near-field scanning optical microscopy (NSOM) has matured and is routinely used for studies ranging from biology to materials science. Of interest in this review paper is a versatility of modified or multi-functional NSOM (mf-NSOM) to enable high resolution imaging in several modes: (1) Concurrent fluorescence and Topographical Imaging (gases) (2) Microspectroscopy (gases) (3) Concurrent Scanning Electrochemical and Topographical Imaging (SECM) (liquids) (4) Concurrent Photoelectrochemical and Topographical Imaging (PEM) (liquids) The present study will summarize some of the recent advances in mf-NSOM work confirmed and supported by the results from several other imaging techniques of optical, fluorescence, electron and electrochemical microscopy. The studies are directed at providing local information on pitting precursor sites and vulnerable areas on metal and semiconductor surfaces, and at reactive sites on heterogeneous, catalytic substrates, especially on Al 2024 alloy and polycrystalline Ti. In addition, we will introduce some results related to the laser-induced nanometal (Ag) synthesis using mf-NSOM.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.46 no.1
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• pp.44.2-45
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• 2021

As implied by the zodiacal light and spacecraft impact measurements, the space between large bodies in our Solar System is filled with interplanetary dust particles (IDPs). IDPs give us deeper insight into the composition and evolution of the Solar System, as well as being a crucial reference for extrasolar research. IDPs can be interpreted as bearers of carbon and organic materials, and thus, their interaction with Earth can be considered as important factors for the birth of terrestrial life. One of the key routes of IDPs entering Earth is via meteoroid streams (Love and Brownlee 1993). The Geminid meteoroid stream is a notable example. Together with its source asteroid (3200) Phaethon, the Phaethon-Geminid stream complex (PGC) (Whipple 1983; Gustafson 1989) can potentially provide information on the properties and evolution of IDPs in near-Earth space. DESTINY+* is a JAXA/ISAS spacecraft planned to launch in 2024 to explore the physical and chemical features of near-Earth IDPs and uncover the dust ejection mechanism of active near-Earth asteroids, especially Phaethon (Arai et al. 2018). Previous studies on the dust ejection mechanism of Phaethon have various degrees of success in explaining the ejection of submillimeter particles and try to recreate the dust replenishment rate of the Geminid stream. However, none of them are satisfactory for explaining the observed Geminid stream, especially for larger particles of a millimeter and centimeter scales. Inspired by the discovery of rotational mass shedding in the Main Belt region (Jewitt et al., 2014), we investigate a dust ejection scenario by rotational instability on Phaethon. Using the N-body integrator MERCURY6 (Chambers 1999; modified by Jeong 2014), we performed a long-term integration of dust particles of various sizes ejected at ~1 m/s. Through this process, we discuss the implications Phaethon's rotation may have on its ejection, the formation and evolution of IDP by this mechanism, and contribute to the DESTINY+ mission.